News Clips

[nivek]

America goes back to the 80s: Surging gas prices and higher rents push inflation to 41-year high of 8.5% as White House blames it on Putin



Prices for US consumers are rising at the fastest rate in nearly 41 years, the latest data show. The Labor Department said on Tuesday that the consumer price index increased 1.2 percent in March from the month before, for a 8.5 percent gain from a year ago. It is the largest annual gain since December 1981. Excluding volatile food and energy, prices rose 6.5 percent from a year ago. President Joe Biden 's administration tried to get ahead of the dire inflation news by blaming Russian leader Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during Monday's briefing that the White House expected 'headline inflation to be extraordinarily elevated due to Putin 's price hike.' Gas prices did soar in March in response to the invasion, contributing significantly to last month's inflation rate. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of gasoline - $4.11 - is up 44 percent from a year ago, though it has fallen back in the past couple of weeks. The March numbers are the first the capture the full surge in gasoline prices that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Moscow's brutal attacks have triggered far-reaching Western sanctions against the Russian economy and have disrupted global food and energy markets. The escalation of energy prices has led to higher transportation costs for the shipment of goods and components across the economy, which, in turn, has contributed to higher prices for consumers.

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[nivek]

Get ready for the Mexican wave: 140,000 Central and South American migrants head towards U.S. in time for Biden lifting Title 42 on May 23 - as Mexican official warns of 'chaos' on BOTH sides of border

 

[nivek]

Feathered fiend poops on Biden's shoulder inside Iowa barn as he unveils plan to lower gas prices

President Biden, 79, continued speaking for more than 22 minutes after the substance fell on his shoulder, landing on the lapel of his navy blue suit jacket.

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[AD1184]

You might have seen a video a couple of weeks ago from the Ukraine war, where a rocket launcher, probably an NLAW, was fired at a Russian tank on an urban street and hit the tank but did not destroy it. One of the Russian tankers was interviewed afterward and gave his account of the incident. The video below contains both the encounter from the Ukrainian perspective, and the interview:



It appears that the tank was at least damaged, necessitating the crew to switch to a new tank.

 

[michael59]

Feathered fiend poops on Biden's shoulder inside Iowa barn as he unveils plan to lower gas prices

President Biden, 79, continued speaking for more than 22 minutes after the substance fell on his shoulder, landing on the lapel of his navy blue suit jacket.

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Wait for it....

If a bird poops on you or anything you own, it's said to be good luck! The Russian superstition is based on the rare odds of actually being pooped on by a bird. A rabbit's foot or horseshoe might be the more traditional objects relating to symbols of good luck, but honestly, nothing will be as strange as bird poop.

It's a Russian superstition.

 

[wwkirk]

Suspected BK subway shooter Frank James arrested: NYPD

YouTube closed his account today.
Brooklyn subway shooting: Suspect Frank James posted racist rants to YouTube for years

 

[nivek]

'Fake' Homeland agent who 'infiltrated White House Secret Service' and had an arsenal of weapons in his D.C. penthouse arrives at his family's Virginia home after he was RELEASED from jail because judge said he doesn't pose a risk



Following the federal government's failure to file an appeal, two men impersonating federal law enforcement officers with the Department of Homeland Security were released from custody Wednesday. Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Sher-Ali, 35, were released to their respective fathers, who will serve as third party custodians as the duo awaits trial later this month. They must remain on house arrest at their fathers' homes in Virginia and are being monitored by GPS. A black sedan pulled up at the family home of Taherzadeh at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon.

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[nivek]

Steven Seagal travels to Moscow for a 70th birthday party with some of Putin's closest henchmen and promises to stand by them 'through thick and through thin'



Video circulating on social media shows the former Hollywood action man (top right, bottom right with Putin) giving a speech at the function on April 10, surrounded by several Russian elites targeted by Western sanctions amid Russia's war in Ukraine. Polarising Russian state television presenter Vladimir Soloviev (pictured left with Seagal), who has openly backed Putin's invasion and accused Britain of orchestrating the horrific scenes of civilian massacres in Bucha, can be seen standing just to the left of Seagal. Margarita Simonyan, one of Russia's leading pro-Kremlin media moguls and editor-in-chief of RT, was also in attendance according to the Financial Times. Dressed in his customary black shirt and yellow-tinted glasses, Seagal declared to the pro-Putin audience: 'Each and every one of you, you are my family and my friends. And I love all of you and we stand together, through thick and through thin.'

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[pigfarmer]

Steven Seagal travels to Moscow for a 70th birthday party with some of Putin's closest henchmen and promises to stand by them 'through thick and through thin'

View attachment 16320

Video circulating on social media shows the former Hollywood action man (top right, bottom right with Putin) giving a speech at the function on April 10, surrounded by several Russian elites targeted by Western sanctions amid Russia's war in Ukraine. Polarising Russian state television presenter Vladimir Soloviev (pictured left with Seagal), who has openly backed Putin's invasion and accused Britain of orchestrating the horrific scenes of civilian massacres in Bucha, can be seen standing just to the left of Seagal. Margarita Simonyan, one of Russia's leading pro-Kremlin media moguls and editor-in-chief of RT, was also in attendance according to the Financial Times. Dressed in his customary black shirt and yellow-tinted glasses, Seagal declared to the pro-Putin audience: 'Each and every one of you, you are my family and my friends. And I love all of you and we stand together, through thick and through thin.'

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That's their prize; Steven Segal. They can keep him. Quite a bargain I would think, they got 500lbs worth from the looks of it ...... He can stand next to Russel Crowe and make him look thin.

 

[pigfarmer]

Another senior New York politician resigned in disgrace. Say it's ain't so. Gov. Kathy Hockeypuck is probably grateful to Frank James for calling Crime Stoppers and turning himself in. Gave the news cycle somewhere else to focus on. Now she can get back to handing the better part of a billion taxpayer dollars to a developer to make a sports stadium in Buffalo. You know, the one where her husband's firm would have the concessions.

Lt. Gov. Benjamin Resigns Following Campaign Finance Indictment

Lt. Gov. Benjamin Resigns Following Campaign Finance Indictment
Brian A. Benjamin, New York’s second in command to Gov. Kathy Hochul, was charged with bribery, fraud and falsification of records while a state senator

Credit...Jefferson Siegel for The New York Times

By William K. Rashbaum, Nicholas Fandos and Jeffery C. Mays

April 12, 2022
Lt. Gov. Brian A. Benjamin of New York resigned on Tuesday, hours after federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment implicating him in a brazen scheme to enrich his political campaigns with illegal donations.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, who selected Mr. Benjamin to be her lieutenant governor less than a year ago, announced that he was stepping down immediately “while the legal process plays out.”

“It is clear to both of us that he cannot continue to serve as lieutenant governor,” she wrote in a statement Tuesday evening.

The five-count indictment charging Mr. Benjamin said that while he was a state senator, he had conspired to direct $50,000 in state funds to a Harlem real estate developer’s charity. In exchange, the developer gathered thousands of dollars in illegal contributions to Mr. Benjamin’s 2020 Senate campaign and his unsuccessful 2021 bid for New York City comptroller, the indictment said.


Mr. Benjamin, who pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, was also accused of offering to help the developer, Gerald Migdol, obtain a zoning variance if he made a $15,000 donation to a separate fund for State Senate Democrats. The developer was arrested on federal charges in November and pleaded not guilty at the time.

“This is a simple story of corruption,” Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said at a news conference before Mr. Benjamin’s resignation. “Taxpayer money for campaign contributions. A quid pro quo. This for that. That’s bribery, plain and simple.”

The resignation of Mr. Benjamin could prove to be a serious political liability for Ms. Hochul, who took office last year after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo resigned in disgrace. Although she was not implicated in any of the allegations against Mr. Benjamin, the indictment of her handpicked No. 2 threatened to undercut Ms. Hochul’s vow to turn the page on an era of scandal in Albany.

The indictment — the result of an investigation by federal prosecutors, the F.B.I. and New York City’s Department of Investigation — accuses Mr. Benjamin of engaging in a “series of lies and deceptions to cover up the scheme,” including falsifying campaign donation forms, misleading city authorities and giving false information as part of a background check to become lieutenant governor last year.

Mr. Benjamin entered his not guilty plea at a brief appearance in Federal District Court in Lower Manhattan, and was released on a $250,000 bond under terms that require him to get special permission to travel to Albany. He left the courthouse without comment.

Ms. Hochul can select a new lieutenant governor in the coming weeks, but it will be far more difficult to replace Mr. Benjamin on the Democratic primary ballot in June. Because he was designated as the Democratic Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor, election rules stipulate that his name can only be removed at this point if he were to move out of the state, die or seek another office.

Mr. Benjamin said last week that he had been cooperating with investigators, after news outlets, including The New York Times, reported details of the investigation. Accompanied by his lawyers, he met with prosecutors last week, according to a person who was briefed on the meeting and not authorized to discuss it, and his top aides were privately reassuring allies that he expected to be cleared of any wrongdoing.

Lawyers for Mr. Benjamin, James D. Gatta and William J. Harrington, said in a statement that their client was resigning and suspending his campaign to “focus his energies on explaining in court why his actions were laudable, not criminal.”

They said that there was “nothing inappropriate” about the $50,000 grant, and that Mr. Benjamin “looks forward to when this case is finished so he can rededicate himself to public service.”

Mr. Williams — who announced the charges with Michael J. Driscoll, the assistant director in charge of the New York F.B.I. office, and Jocelyn E. Strauber, the commissioner of the city’s Department of Investigation — laid out the details of the indictment. It accused Mr. Benjamin of bribing Mr. Migdol to help secure small contributions for his comptroller race that could be used to obtain tens of thousands of dollars in public matching funds through a city program.

Prosecutors said Mr. Benjamin had first approached Mr. Migdol for help in March 2019, months before announcing a campaign for comptroller. In a meeting at Mr. Migdol’s home, prosecutors said, the developer told Mr. Benjamin that he was wary of pressuring his network of donors to give beyond what they already contributed to his charity, Friends of Public School Harlem, a group that organized giveaways of school supplies and groceries to needy families.

“Let me see what I can do,” Mr. Benjamin replied, according to the indictment.

In the months that followed, prosecutors said, Mr. Benjamin used his State Senate office to secure a $50,000 taxpayer-funded education grant for the charity that Mr. Migdol never requested, and used it as leverage to press Mr. Migdol to gather contributions.


At one point, Mr. Benjamin sent a text message to Mr. Migdol that showed the developer’s charity among a list of projects receiving state aid. “Do you recognize the third entity on the list?” Mr. Benjamin asked, according to the indictment.

During a meeting at Mr. Benjamin’s Harlem office two weeks later, Mr. Migdol gave him three checks totaling $25,000 made out to his Senate campaign account. Two were in the name of the developer’s relatives and one was from a shell company he controlled, prosecutors said.

Mr. Migdol then filled out campaign contribution forms in front of Mr. Benjamin, signing the forms not in his name, but in the names of his relatives, the prosecutors said. Mr. Benjamin reminded the developer about the $50,000 grant and his need for smaller contributions.

Mr. Benjamin delivered an oversize cardboard check for the $50,000 in grant money the following September at a charity golf tournament for Friends of Public School Harlem, an event documented on Mr. Migdol’s Facebook page. Prosecutors said the funds were never actually disbursed.

Still, within weeks, Mr. Migdol began steering a series of fraudulent donations to the comptroller campaign. Some were made in the names of individuals, including the developer’s 2-year-old grandchild, who did not consent to them; others had donated money but were fully reimbursed. In one instance, he handed a bundle of donations to Mr. Benjamin on the street, according to the indictment.

What to Know About Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin

Who is Brian Benjamin? A Democratic state senator from Harlem, he was selected by Gov. Kathy Hochul to be her lieutenant governor in a move widely seen as an attempt by Ms. Hochul to diversify her ticket before this year’s elections. Mr. Benjamin resigned from the position following an indictment in connection with a campaign finance scheme.

The investigation. Federal authorities have been investigating whether Mr. Benjamin participated in an effort to funnel fraudulent contributions to his unsuccessful 2021 campaign for New York City comptroller. This inquiry stemmed from an indictment charging a Harlem real estate investor with trying to conceal contributions to a candidate in that race.

His resignation. On April 12, Mr. Benjamin was arrested and stepped down as lieutenant governor hours after federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment implicating him in a brazen scheme to enrich his political campaigns with illegal donations. The resignation could prove to be a serious political liability for Ms. Hochul.

While not listed by name in the indictment, Mr. Migdol began providing information to investigators after he was arrested in November on charges of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and other crimes related to his role in the fund-raising scheme, according to people with knowledge of the matter. He was referred to in Tuesday’s charging documents as “CC-1,” short for co-conspirator 1.

Mr. Migdol’s lawyer, Joel Cohen, declined to comment.

Prosecutors said Mr. Benjamin called Mr. Migdol again on Oct. 21, 2020, with another proposal: If the developer contributed $15,000 to a different political campaign committee, Mr. Benjamin would help him win support for a zoning variance from a city community board Mr. Benjamin had once led.


The indictment says the donation was made on Nov. 13, the same day, campaign finance records show, Mr. Migdol transferred $15,000 to the New York State Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. The zoning variance sought by Mr. Migdol has not been presented to the community board for approval.

Over time, Mr. Benjamin repeatedly hid his knowledge of the scheme from New York City and state authorities, the prosecutors said. Most notably, the indictment says that during a background check for his appointment as lieutenant governor, Mr. Benjamin falsely claimed twice that he had never “directly exercised” his governmental authority “concerning a matter of a donor” he asked for money.

Ms. Hochul selected Mr. Benjamin to be her lieutenant governor last August, shortly after she became governor following Mr. Cuomo’s resignation amid numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. The choice of Mr. Benjamin, who is Black, was widely seen as an attempt by Ms. Hochul, a white moderate from Buffalo, to expand her appeal to nonwhite voters in New York City in this year’s elections.

Mr. Benjamin spent much of his career in banking and affordable housing development before winning a State Senate seat representing most of Harlem in 2017.

In Albany, he was a leading proponent of criminal justice reform measures passed by Democrats after they won the majority in 2018. He finished fourth in the Democratic primary for comptroller last year.

It was unclear how carefully Ms. Hochul or her advisers vetted Mr. Benjamin before the appointment.

There had already been published reports by The City at the time showing that Mr. Benjamin’s campaign had benefited from suspicious donations, as well as ethical concerns about his use of campaign funds for a wedding celebration and car expenses. (Mr. Benjamin later refunded the questionable contributions and reached an agreement to repay the campaign expenses in question.)

The other Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor are Diana Reyna, a former New York City councilwoman, and Ana Maria Archila, an activist backed by the left-leaning Working Families Party.


“The governor announced that she would bring a new day, and I’m not sure that’s the case,” Ms. Archila said in an interview on Tuesday.

The news of Mr. Benjamin’s arrest spread throughout Harlem’s political community on Tuesday, with many expressing shock and others declaring his innocence. Mr. Benjamin, who rose from being the chairman of the Central Harlem community board, was considered a rising star.

“When this is all over with, it’ll be what I know: Brian did not do anything to break the law,” said Hazel N. Dukes, the president of the New York State chapter of the N.A.A.C.P., and one of Mr. Benjamin’s political mentors.

 

[nivek]

Moment a confused looking Biden sticks out his hand and appears to shake thin air after falsely claiming in speech that he had also been a 'full professor' at UPenn for four years

President Joe Biden looked lost again Thursday after finishing a speech on the nation's ongoing supply chain crisis when he turned around and stuck his hand out as if to shake hands - but there was no one else on stage.

The 79-year-old president claimed before the handshake fiasco that he had served as a 'full professor' at the University of Pennsylvania despite never teaching a class at the school, in yet another gaffe that has Republicans questioning Biden's cognitive abilities.

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[nivek]

Obama economist Steve Rattner says Biden's $1.9trillion American Rescue Plan will 'go down in history as an extraordinary policy mistake' that has put the U.S. 'behind the curve' on skyrocketing inflation

Obama-era economic advisor Stephen Rattner warned that the U.S. may be on track for a recession just as the race for 2024 kicks off, a conundrum he blames on 'poor economic policy' from President Biden, Congress and the Federal Reserve.

'Mounting evidence suggests a hard landing — in other words, a recession,' the former counselor to the Treasury Secretary wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times. 'We need our economic policymakers to move quickly before the likely damage, already in progress, escalates.'

'Those poor policies include far too much budgetary stimulus as we addressed Covid challenges. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed in the early days of the Biden administration will go down in history as an extraordinary policy mistake.'

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[nivek]

18 MORE states join lawsuit suing Biden to stop lifting of Title 42

Eighteen more states have signed onto a lawsuit against President Joe Biden's administration to stop it from lifting the Title 42 health order for the southern border amid concerns it will bring in a huge flux of migrants.

Originally filed by Arizona, Louisiana and Missouri, the case, in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Louisiana, was amended on Thursday to add the other states, bringing the total to 21.

Florida is one of the new states joining the suit, which is asking the federal court to block the order terminating Title 42.

'Ending Title 42 would be a disaster and further the chaos at the southwest border that is making it easier for drug cartels and human smugglers to advance their illicit practices in our country.' said Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody in a statement.

She said it was 'reckless' of Biden administration to lift the order.

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[pigfarmer]

Moment a confused looking Biden sticks out his hand and appears to shake thin air after falsely claiming in speech that he had also been a 'full professor' at UPenn for four years

President Joe Biden looked lost again Thursday after finishing a speech on the nation's ongoing supply chain crisis when he turned around and stuck his hand out as if to shake hands - but there was no one else on stage.

The 79-year-old president claimed before the handshake fiasco that he had served as a 'full professor' at the University of Pennsylvania despite never teaching a class at the school, in yet another gaffe that has Republicans questioning Biden's cognitive abilities.

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[nivek]

This is just a token gesture since they are withholding 80% of the available leases...Little doubt the 20% available leases are likely unusable but Biden can say he's allowing drilling again when its really an severely restricted allowance that won't yield any results...

...

Biden administration resumes oil and gas leases on federal lands as gasoline prices soar

(Excerpts)

The Bureau of Land Management will begin issuing final environmental assessments and sale notices on Monday for future oil and gas projects and will offer for lease "approximately 173 parcels on roughly 144,000 acres, an 80 percent reduction from the acreage originally nominated," BLM stated.

In a statement to Fox News regarding the decision, the American Petroleum Institute expressed concern over whether the move will add "new barriers to increasing energy production."

"U.S. energy resources are the envy of the world and a long-term strategic asset that strengthens our national security and fuels our economy," said Frank Macchiarola, senior vice president of policy, economics, and regulatory affairs for API. "We are pleased to see the Interior Department finally announce a restart to the long-delayed onshore leasing program required under the law, but we are concerned that this action adds new barriers to increasing energy production, including removing some of the most significant parcels."

"At a time of high energy costs, these changes to long-standing fair and reasonable lease terms may further discourage oil and natural gas investment on federal lands," Macchiarola added. "We look forward to seeing the additional details of the leasing proposal."

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[nivek]

Could the Midlands LEAVE the UK? Radical political group is battling for an 'independent Mercia' with its own government, laws and taxes



The Acting Witan of Mercia, more commonly known as Independent Mercia, is a radical political group based in the Midlands who believe the United Kingdom is in illegal control of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. Independent Mercia claims to be the regions acting government, entirely devolved from England, and its de jure. It has three aims for the region: organic democracy, ecological balance and co-operative community. The group's history stems from the Norman Conquest which it considers to be the beginning of an 'English holocaust' and the 'rape of the land'. The death of King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 established the first Norman monarch of England and marked the end of the Anglo-Saxons. Despite occurring almost a thousand years ago, the most famous battle in English history is at the very heart of what it means to be one of its 'citizens'. Jeff Kent, 70, from Cotes Heath, Stafford, is the convener of the Acting Witan of Mercia and one of its founding 'citizens'. Pictured: Mercia in correlation to the UK (left), Independent Mercia's flag (inset) and the convener Jeff Kent (right).

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[AD1184]

Could the Midlands LEAVE the UK?

No, it couldn't.

 

[michael59]

Moment a confused looking Biden sticks out his hand and appears to shake thin air after falsely claiming in speech that he had also been a 'full professor' at UPenn for four years

President Joe Biden looked lost again Thursday after finishing a speech on the nation's ongoing supply chain crisis when he turned around and stuck his hand out as if to shake hands - but there was no one else on stage.

The 79-year-old president claimed before the handshake fiasco that he had served as a 'full professor' at the University of Pennsylvania despite never teaching a class at the school, in yet another gaffe that has Republicans questioning Biden's cognitive abilities.

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So, exactly who is it that is pulling his strings?

 

[pigfarmer]

Biden Makes Deal With Ghost In Historic Ghost Gun Compromise


Politics April 15th, 2022

GREENSBORO, NC—After uproar from ghosts in response to Biden's ghost gun ban, Biden appears to have reached a historic compromise with the invisible departed spirit community. This week after a speech in North Carolina, he appeared to shake hands with a ghost after presumably coming to an agreement with him.

"Yes, the President was not confused or lost in any way," said Psaki in response to right-wing criticism of the strange handshaking gesture. "He was merely shaking hands with a real ghost. He is the first President to make this kind of progress with the ghost community and we are very proud of his accomplishments on that front."

Reporters were not given the name of the ghost or told what the ghost said in his exchange with the president—only that the ghost was "totally real" and "totally shook the President's hand."

"We will be withholding the name of the spirit out of respect for the dead," said Psaki. "From now on, if you see President Biden do anything weird in public, just assume he's in intense negotiations with a disembodied specter of someone who passed on many years ago." Psaki then muttered "I can't do this," and stormed off the podium.

When reached for comment at the White House, Biden responded by saying, "Mah gibrugliflibbernoggin! Come on! For real!"

 

[pigfarmer]

So, exactly who is it that is pulling his strings?

at that moment he appears to have slipped the leash, or maybe his handler's phone rang .....

BoJo went to Kiev to walk around because he could. The optics of a liver spotted old fart shuffling around next to a man who could be his grandson ain't good. He's be crying over Bo or talking about CornPop or doing anything other than looking like an actual leader. Trump would've been eyeing various properties, saying he could rebuild Ukraine and make Russia pay for it ..............

Other EU leaders have to see this when they actually meet him and just not say anything